My Turn
by Simplified Chaos
Summary: The long-awaited sequel to “The Deadly Game.”
1. Mine

Hey ya'll... L.A. Here. Finally, I got around to writing this:

**My Turn**: The long-awaited sequel to "The Deadly Game." Sesshomaru is determined to re-claim his lovely miko mate... But not before teaching her the consequences of her actions.

Why did they become mates to begin with? The answer awaits you inside...

Instead of using the lyrics to set the mood, like I did in 'The Deadly Game' and my other precious song fics, I decided to use the lyrics as part of the actual dialog of the story. This is a totally new concept for me, and hopefully it works out. So, don't be to harsh on your criticism, okay? Lol.

Here we go!

* * *

**My Turn**

**Chapter 1: Reunions**

_**Disclaimer**: I own NADA!

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_

_Kagome, having no choice but to follow, quickly stumbled after her excited friend. Too bad she wouldn't make it to InuYasha's side._

_Sesshomaru landed a few feet from the village he sought. Still hidden in the trees, as not to cause any unintended chaos, he softly sniffed the air. The scent he sought immediately met his nose, and he smiled cruelly as the young girl came into his view. _

_Poor Kagome never knew what was coming..._

* * *

Sesshomaru watched as his prey ran toward the village, the young demon slayer nearly dragging her. He smiled ruthlessly and followed silently. He knew that most of the village would still be asleep in these early hours of the morning, and the few people that dared to venture from their homes would merely retreat at the sight of him. He easily kept up with the pair of girls, keeping his mate in his sight.

'You'll be mine again, Love... Or no one will have you.'

* * *

InuYasha growled menacingly as he once again sliced the silky material with his claws. He threw it to the ground, adding to the growing pile of ruined cloth at his feet.

"Hey, maybe we can make pillows later..." Miroku joked from across the room, where he was cutting and wrapping sheets of material with no problem. InuYasha's growl of warning silenced him, and he turned back to his tedious task. "It's the only way we'll make use of what your wasting." He mumbled to himself, his back turned to InuYasha.

The half demon of course heard his words clearly, but before he could retaliate, a small fur ball burst into the room.

"Hey guys!" Shippo greeted, hopping onto Miroku's shoulder. "Sango said that she was almost done with the nets..." He gazed down at the pile of material at Miroku's feet, then at InuYasha. Raising an eyebrow, he glanced back at Miroku. "How are you two doing on the tents?"

"Fine." Miroku said. "InuYasha was merely preparing 'stuffing' for some pillows..." He teased, glancing over at InuYasha once again.

The hanyou was glaring, and picked up a heavy looking pipe. Miroku's eyes widened as he realized his friend's intentions, but before either of them could react, the door to the building they were inhabiting was thrown open. All three pairs of eyes widened in shock at who they saw.

* * *

Sesshomaru watched as the girls he was pursuing went to a building at the outskirts of the village. He suddenly sensed his half brother, and smiled evilly.

'Oh, this will be delicious...'

* * *

"K-Kagome..." Shippo whimpered from his perch on Miroku's shoulder, then suddenly launched himself at his surrogate mother. Kagome caught the little fox mid flight, and hugged him to her.

"Oh, how I missed you!" She whimpered into his fur, squeezing him tightly. Shippo, whom usually would have protested against such harsh love, simply returned the embrace with all his might.

"I missed you too!" He squeaked through his tears of joy. Upon her release of him, he pulled back to look up into her eyes, which were glittering with unshed tears. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"As am I!" Miroku agreed, finally being able to re-gain his voice. He went to his friend and hugged her lovingly. "But, may I ask; why?" He questioned gently. As much as he rejoiced in seeing her again, he knew of the arrangements of her departure in the first place, and was curious as to why they had been broken.

"Yes," InuYasha suddenly spoke, slowly coming to Miroku's side. "Why are you back?" He, too, secretly rejoiced in her return, and wanted nothing more than to hug her tightly and never let go. However, he, even more than Miroku, also knew of the details of her leave, and also knew of the consequences were those agreements to be broken.

"Oh, don't worry about that! It's over, I left him!" The young miko chirped happily, cradling the small kitsune to her breast.

"You... 'left' him?" InuYasha asked critically, unsure of how to take this news. Honor and pride were deeply embedded in the tradition of demons, and his brother was one of the higher examples of this. InuYasha knew for sure that he would not have simply allowed his mate to leave him.

"Yes! She did! She came to me at the edge of the village." The bubbly voice of the usually calm demon slayer broke InuYasha from his thoughts, and he turned his attention to her and the miko at her side with a grim smile.

"He knows of your departure, correct?" InuYasha asked, the wisdom he kept so well hidden emerging for a moment.

"Of course!" Kagome answered. She smiled and handed the warm ball of fur she held to the flirtatious monk at her side, then went to InuYasha. "I missed you the most." She whispered in his ear, then quickly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him to her.

InuYasha was momentarily taken back by her actions, but quickly returned to warm embrace. "I missed you too, Kagome." He whispered back, letting himself relax just a bit, in her arms.

Suddenly, the warm embrace was rudely interrupted, as Kagome was ripped from InuYasha's grasp. Three gasps of terrified shock and Kagome's whimper of fear also brought InuYasha back to the harsh reality.

Once he turned around, however, reality became even harsher. For, there stood his brother, with Kagome nestled in his arms.

"What are you doing here, she's not yours anymore!" InuYasha spat at his brother who now held a terrified Kagome in his arms.

"On the contrary dear brother." Sesshomaru snarled, bending Kagome's neck back to show the distinct marking of their union.

InuYasha gasped and stepped back, then glared at Kagome.

"I thought you left him!"

"I did!" The frightened girl squeaked. "I left him a note that notified him of my departure-"

"You left him a note! That was it? THAT was how you left him!" InuYasha stared down at the girl in his brother's arms, astounded by her stupidity. "What- what are you trying to do? Kill us all!"

'Now that,' Thought Sesshomaru, 'Wasn't a bad idea...'

* * *

Hope ya liked it. Not too sure on how long this story will be, or how I'm gonna go about everything, but not to worry... This will answer all questions from "The Deadly Game." Promise.

Please Review!

Til Next Time...

L.A.


	2. Why?

Hey Everyone! I'm finally back!

I was finally able to paste together a decent chapter for this story... It may not be the greatest, and sorry if it only confuses you all more... but bare with me! I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to continue this plot... if any of you wonderful people would like to help, just let me know your ideas in your review, k? Well... on with the show!

Chapter 2: Why?

"Why don't you just 'nuke him, and get it over with!" A rather frustrated InuYasha finally spat out.

He and his brother had been glaring at each other relentlessly for the last few minutes, while a rather bewildered and very uncomfortable Kagome squirmed between them in Sesshomaru's arms.

"Because, you half-wit, she cannot..." The older of the brothers answered calmly for the miko in his arms. "My mark upon her neck makes it impossible for her to bring me harm."

"Ah, but you can't hurt her either then!" InuYasha blurted.

"Hmm... so maybe you do possess more brains than it seems. You are correct... I cannot harm her. However, I never intended to do so. Although, our mating does not restrict me from hurting her friends... a costly lesson that she had already learned once." Sesshomaru smirked as the miko in his arms shuddered. "But apparently, not well enough..." He added, his deadly gaze sliding to the small group in front of him.

Immediately, Sango and Miroku stiffened at the youkai Lord's cold gaze, and Shippo hid himself in Miroku's robes. InuYasha continued to glare at the demon before him, the only difference in his posture was his hand now resting against Tetsusaiga's hilt.

"You touch them, and you'll forever regret it..." The hanyou snarled.

Sesshomaru simply smirked and ignored InuYasha's warning. Slowly, he raised an arm until it was level with Miroku's chest, leaving Kagome held by only one arm. His smirk widened as he saw the fear fill the monk's eyes. Sesshomaru knew that Miroku would not use his wind tunnel in this time of need, the reason whimpering against his own chest at that very moment. Sesshomaru let out a cruel chuckle and readied his hand, intending to see how fast human flesh melted.

However, before he could let his deadly poison fly, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. Quickly looking down, he caught sight of the last flickers of a blue flame leave Kagome's fingers, which were pressed against the middle of his body. Gasping more out of shock than pain, he let go of the young girl and stumbled a step back. His hand quickly found it's way to the injured skin, and the inuyoukai tentatively prodded it. Finding it slightly sore, he scowled at his mate, the look sparing her very little of his full rage.

"How dare you-" He growled, but was cut short.

"No, How Dare You!" Despite her shaken state, Kagome was still able to summon up enough courage to face the immense inuyoukai. "This has nothing to do with them! This is between you and I, leave them out of it! I won't have you harming any more of my friends just to hurt me!" The miko punctuated her statement with a stamp of her foot, which only angered her mate more so.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as she spoke, but couldn't be entirely mad with her. He knew how much courage it required to speak such words to someone of his stature, and secretly he admired her. However, to everyone else's eyes, he seemed just as angry with her as he had been moments ago. Which was exactly what he desired.

Never breaking eye contact, Sesshomaru slowly stalked up to Kagome, his hand leaving his wounded stomach to fall to his side. It only took a couple steps to bring him within a few inches of her, and he gazed down at her, using his superior height to his advantage.

"It would seem that you are indeed able to harm me, miko. But only in times that you feel threatened by me in some way..." A slow smirk spread across his face, causing Kagome to involuntarily shiver and shrink back from her lord's formidable form.

This only brought more glee to Sesshomaru, and he had to tear his gaze from her, in case he were to show too much amusement. He gave her small group of friends a critical glance, then returned his gaze to hers. The satisfaction that had threatened to spill forth only moments ago was now replaced with complete seriousness.

"So, you intended to leave me. Just like that." The statement was abrupt, and held a slight tinge of hurt that he hadn't planned to let slip out. He scowled deeply in an effort to overplay it. "Do you not remember the oaths that we took, and the arrangements we set that were never to be broken?"

Kagome watched Sesshomaru, guilt and shame settling onto her heart at his words. The hurt that laced his words, which she was sure was unintentional, didn't help her feel any better. She bit her lip, and dropped her eyes to the ground, no longer able to hold his gaze. A few seconds passed with her unable to form a sensible reply, before she finally returned her gaze to his. She opened her mouth to answer, but was quickly silenced by his raised hand.

"Do not speak." Was his harsh reply. "I do not wish to hear your feeble reasoning." Pulling himself up once again to his full height, he dared her to object his authority again. "We will return to the palace now."

* * *

That night, Kagome was plagued with disturbing dreams. Ones that she could not shake, and that only brought more shame and doubt to her heart.

Dream

_"Um, Sesshomaru-sama?" The young girl started nervously. The tall figure in front of her simply turned away, seemingly loosing interest in her as he started to loosen his inner shirt. She thought that he dismissed her, and was about to turn away herself when she heard a light "Hmm?" _

She sighed and straightened up. She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She then dropped the bomb.

"I was wondering... what if I-" She struggled slightly for the right word, "Well, 'kept' male company?"

Suddenly, the room became deathly silent as Sesshomaru's movements stilled and the girl held her breath.

Then, as quickly as the silence had began, it ended. Sesshomaru resumed his actions, although they were measured this time. She watched him apprehensively, her breath shallow.

_Suddenly, he spoke. _

"I'd kill them." The answer was so simple, yet nearly knocked the youth off her feet.

"What!" She cried, mostly out of shock, but a bit out of anger. 'How dare he threaten me like that!'

However, once Sesshomaru turned to her, her anger was replaced by cold fear. His eyes were red with rage, but other than that, he showed no sign of distress. Which, in turn, scared her worse than straight out anger would have.

"You heard me." He growled, his voice low. His eyes flashed, then slowly resumed their golden hue. **"You're mine."**

End Dream

Kagome shot straight up in the bed, sweat building at her temples. She gasped for air, and tried to shake the fear that the memory had instilled on her heart. She slowly gazed around the darkened room, and upon finding a pair of sharp golden eyes watching her at her side, she quickly laid back down, and sleep came to her.

Dream

"_I'll miss you..." The words were whispered so low, that she barely caught them. She smiled sadly at the man in front of her, trying her best to lighten his darkening mood. _

"_Hey, it's not like this is the last time we'll ever see each other!" She told him brightly, although her doubt wasn't too well hidden by the statement. She sighed, and offered him another smile, this one full of sorrow and apology. "I'll miss you, too," she said, her mask slipping slightly. She went to hug him one last time, but a low growl close behind her halted her advances. She saw the man in front of her cast a wicked glare over her shoulder, and she swallowed softly. _

"_Well, goodbye." She whispered, moving away from the one man she had ever loved. In the last glimse she had of his eyes, she could see that he was torn, but she knew that there was nothing he could do. The agreement was already complete, the promises made. And those promises would have to be kept..._

End Dream

Kagome awoke to the gentle scent of tears, and a wet pillow beneath her face. She sniffled, and realized that she had been crying. Wiping her eyes dry, she whimpered softly and turned onto her back, unable to sleep any longer.

She felt terrible; confusion and regret joined the shame and doubt that were already present in her heart. 'Why did I ever promise myself to this evil creature?' She silently asked herself. She knew that there was a reason, but she could barely remember it. Why hadn't she stayed with her friends, with InuYasha, whom she had finally openly admitted to loving, and vice versa? On the other hand, why had she not been returned back to her own time, by the force of the completed Shikon No Tama?

Kagome continued to mull over these questions until her head hurt, and the sun was peaking through her lord's window. Then, just as she about to give up and try to sleep, it came to her.

"InuYasha..."

* * *

Hey Ya'll... here are a few stories you should read, if you haven't already. Believe me, they're great.

A Completely Innocent Addiction, by 'Just a Starving Writer.'

Dead Famous, by 'Rozefire.'

The first I had saved to my favorites forever ago, and got around to it only a little while ago. It's such an awesome story. I regret not getting to it earlier. I'm sure you guys will enjoy it also. It's a humorous and 'completely innocent' take on the coupling of Sesshomaru and Kagome.

The second I have known about for a good while. I read it several months ago, but came across a couple 'tribute' stories for it a few days ago. To read these, go to Rozefire's homepage. It's a great story, one of the best I've come across on this site. Also, don't forget to check out all her other stories. Though I haven't read all of them (yet), I'm more than sure that they're just as good.

Sorry for the lack of updates on my stories. It's just that for a while there, I had developed an insatiable lust for just reading stories... I also ran into a rock-hard wall of writer's block and it has taken a while for my 'creativity' to fully recover. Now that I've had my fill of stories, I'm able to continue on with my writing.

Much Love.

L.A.

P.S. Um, just noticed this... I keep writing Sesshomaru with two arms... So, please forgive me for this mistake.


	3. How did we find ourselves here

gasp An update?? Could it truly be?

Why yes, yes it is!! Amazing ya?

Heh, alright... I am truly sorry for the lengthy absense. I know that most of you would rather just cinse me and get it over with than read my stories, but hey! Here's an update anyway.

Enjoy! Tell me what ya think!

I promise the next update will be longer. I was going to just slap all three of these first chapters into one, but that would mean having to delete the first two entries and loosing all my wonderful reviews. ;.; Not gonna happen... heh.

Well, I'll let you get to the chapter now.

Ch. 3: How did we find ourselves here?

Disclaimer: I own no InuYasha characters. All ownership is on Rumiko Takahashi.

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Sesshomaru stood at the window of his study, gazing out over the gardens. He had left his chambers, and the girl, hours ago. Sleep had refused to claim him. Instead, his mind kept visiting the events of the evening before. As he thought about it, the pain seemed to return, as if it had just happened. A cruel reminder that maybe he had underestimated the miko. An insult, more than an injury. Unconsciously, a clawed hand rose to once again prod at the offended flesh of his stomach. It hadn't hurt; hell, it had only felt as if the small girl had simply attempted to punch him. He actually wished that that were the case; cause then it would mean that she didn't have a clue. But no, he had distinctly seen the flickering blue leave her fingers, and the flash of defiance in her eyes. Did she know? Or had it been a fluke accident, only a sudden reaction to his threat on her friend's life?

A very uncharacteristic sigh escaped the inuyoukai's lips as his eyes drooped closed. He didn't like not having control. And this situation was challenging exactly that. He had kept certain details of their union from her. Actually, he kept most of them from her, only allowing her to know exactly what he felt she needed to know. He had felt safe in the decision, assuming that she would have no other access to the knowledge but from himself. Sure, there was Jaken, but the kappa hated the girl, as she did him, so that ruled him out from sharing such information with her. The little kit that had traveled with her could be a potential threat to his secret, but being as he was still young and orphaned, he probably knew nothing as well. Other than that, the girl had no contact with other demons, unless you count the hanyou. Which, Sesshomaru didn't. The demon slayer didn't worry him much; true, she probably knew a good deal about youkai traditions, but he doubted she had accurate knowledge on the finer points of matters such as mating. The monk, and elder miko, he wrote off as easily as the slayer.

Though, it seemed that all that careful planning wasn't going to do the great lord much good. The little miko seemed to be figuring things out on her own, and there wasn't much he could do about it when she started asking questions. He wouldn't lie; no, that was beneath him. One could say that he already had lied to her through selective elimination, but he only saw that as being cunning. No, his only hope now was that she'd decide to forget it, or feel too intimidated to question him.

Sighing yet again, his eyes opened ever so slightly, two golden slights gazing out into the approaching sunrise.

* * *

Kagome was sitting in her bathing spring with a similar look on her face. The fact that she had actually been able to generate her power against Sesshomaru had startled her. He had told her that once they were joined, they would be immune to each other's powers, and possibly not even be able to aim that at each other. However, she had done both. True, she hadn't injured him in the least, and had only served to anger him more. But the fact remained that she had been able to produce her miko powers against Sesshomaru, her mate.

Instead of the thought thrilling her, or filling her with thoughts of power, it scared her, and sent a shiver of fear through her body. If she was able to do it, could he? If he felt the need, would he be able to summon his powers against her? Not that she saw herself ever giving Sesshomaru a reason to act in such a way. She suddenly felt cold, and vulnerable; and it had nothing to do with her state of undress. She found it hard to admit to herself, but she had found comfort in and had felt protected by the fact that the great Lord Sesshomaru, daiyoukai of the western lands, was supposedly rendered useless against her.

Shivering, she stood from the natural hot water swirling around her, and made her way into her chambers. Thoughts were still swirling in her mind, and she couldn't shake them. Was it odd to feel fear toward the one that had sworn to protect her? She had felt safe this last year since she'd mated the inuyoukai, knowing that no one would be able to harm her with Sesshomaru around. But now... her protector once again seemed to be an adversary.

She pulled on a white kimono with the Inu no Taisho family crest printed across it in blue, identical to Sesshomaru's. As she hands numbly pulled the fabric around her delicate form, her small hands faltered for a moment as she tied the obi, a sudden new line of thought coming to her. If he had been able to indeed harm her the whole time, why did he allow her to believe otherwise? Was he trying to lull her into a false security? Was he planning something?

Though the thoughts sent cold chills through her, they also riled her ire. 'How dare he?' she asked herself, in slight shock. She had always knew that he was cruel, but this? To try and control her reality? It almost seemed that he was trying to dominate her completely; control what she knew, and how she reacted to such knowledge. As she thought on these things, her anger rose. She would not put such behavior past Sesshomaru, in all actuality. He was one to desire and relish dominance. If she had learned nothing else about the youkai in the past year, she knew that he was not one to accept defeat, in any aspect of his life. Obviously, she was included.

* * *

He felt her coming long before she pushed the dining hall door open. Her scent was quite strong today; several emotions riddled her, and he knew that she had finally come to a decision on something. This had him waiting in slight anticipation; though one would never be able to tell. He, Sesshomaru, scared of a little miko? Unlikely.

Kagome slipped into the huge dining hall, almost silently. She had perfected her arts of never being heard before seen, though she knew that it didn't really matter, with living in a castle full of youkai. Closing the heavy door behind her, she turned to glance toward the table. She already knew what she's find, and she had been correct; he sat there, regal as always, waiting. She had beaten Jaken and Rin to the morning meal, and almost felt the need to flee. She never had any desire to be in a room alone with her mate, and now she relished the situation even less. Pushing her fears down, she knew she couldn't leave, and thus she began to walk slowly toward him, hoping that her steps, and scent, didn't give her away.

Of course, he was able to sense every change in emotion that rolled through her, as well as read them flash across her face. She didn't want to be alone with him; she feared it. This fact pleased him. Perhaps he wasn't loosing hold of the situation after all. Maybe the whole episode had only served to strengthen his dominance over her. She now knew that if she were to try and leave, he would only reclaim her. His rules were not to be compromised, and maybe, just maybe, her eyes had been opened wider to this fact.

Kagome finally found herself sitting to Sesshomaru's right, and to her dismay, fidgeting quite terribly. She had never before been so nervous before him. Not when they were still enemies, on the battlefield, her fighting alongside InuYasha. Not when she faced his wrath after angering him once, when she had trespassed into a secret room in the castle. Not even on the night of their wedding, when he had claimed her, all of her, as fully and completely his.

Sighing softly, she closed her eyes and took a couple deep breaths, trying to force her hands to lay calmly on her lap, and her teeth to still against her bottom lip. She tried to assure herself that he wasn't going to strike her down, or harm her in any way. If he hadn't yet, why would he now? The thought calmed her enough, and she slowly opened her eyes to look over at him. She knew that he had been watching her, and was sure that he had even gotten a good laugh. Oh, how she sometimes despised him...

Sesshomaru had indeed been watching her, but he was far from laughing at her. Sure, the show served to feed his need for dominance over her, and he enjoyed it. But did he need constant reminder of such simply because he feared to loose it? 'Ridiculous,' he sneered to himself. No, instead he had been watching her, wondering just what was the reason for this sudden new-found fear towards him. He didn't mind it, though if he were to admit it, which he wouldn't, he had begun to dislike the scent of fear off of her. The reason for this fear, though, was what he was worried about. If she had pieced together what the scene in the village hinted at, she then knew that they weren't completely immune to each other, as he had led her to believe. However, the amount of fear that had ahold of her suggested that she thought different, that he had lied completely to her; either that, or was simply paralyzed at the thought that he had even the tiniest ability to harm her. He didn't mind righteous fear; but he didn't like her being afraid of him for no apparent reason.

When she looked up at him, he held her stormy blue gaze with his cold golden one until she looked away again, down to her plate. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since he had issued the order of returning to the castle last night. When he was about to decide to break the silence and perhaps get a grasp on what she was thinking, the door was once again pushed open, this time revealing Jaken and the young Rin. Jaken led the girl to the table, where she happily bounced onto the cushion next to Kagome, issuing a bubbly greeting to both the miko and her lord. Jaken, after bowing low to Sesshomaru, took his seat on the other side of his lord. Once they were all seated, the morning meal began, and Sesshomaru knew that he had lost his chance to speak for now.

* * *

Kagome ran through the gardens, her breathing slightly ragged. She had to find something to hide; somewhere she wouldn't be too easily discovered. After a few frantic looks around the garden she had just entered, she sprinted toward a large tree, and scrambled up it. She was once again thankful for the years of running through Japan's countryside, and the shape it had kept her in. Seating herself on a thick branch a couple layers up the tree, she sat back and tried to calm her breath.

After a few minutes of complete silence, save for her slowly quietening breath, she heard the footsteps, following her exactly, almost as if she had left a trail. Holding her breath, she gazed down through the limbs, watching.

Suddenly, the small girl zoomed into view, and grinned up at her. "Kagome-chan, you hid there last time!" The bubbly voice called up to her, followed by a giggle. Kagome blinked; sometimes she wondered if it were possible to inherent traits from demons if you traveled with them long enough. For, she was fairly certain she had never been up this tree before. Thus, the only explanation being that Rin could sense her much like the lord that she loved so much. Of course, this was ridiculous, but upon looking down and seeing quite a familiar amused glint in the girl's eyes, she had to wonder.

"Alright Rin-chan, you win!" She called down.

The child had rounded Kagome up after breakfast, begging her to accompany her to the gardens for some games. Kagome had agreed as she always did, but with a bit more vigor this time. Anything to get her out of the presence of that dog demon. She probably would have even accompanied Jaken somewhere, just for an escape. Well, almost. She wasn't sure she had been that desperate.

Smiling at Rin as her feet touched the ground, she chuckled in a playful manner. "Almost Rin, you better run!" she said, crinkling her hands at the girl, as if she were getting ready to tickle her sides. The girl squealed and took off with a speed that once again left Kagome to wonder ever so slightly about the transfer of demonic traits.

* * *

Sesshomaru stood in his study once again looking down at the gardens. His eyes watched the two females race through the gardens until they effectively tired themselves. As they drug themselves toward the castle, he turned himself away. His thoughts were still on the miko. He was getting nowhere, and he knew he wouldn't until she approached him, and he could learn exactly what was bothering her. Deciding he needed something to keep his mind busy, he headed toward his personal dojo, ready to get rid of some frustration.

* * *

**Nearly a Year Ago**

To say she had been shocked by his advances would have been akin to saying InuYasha had been mildly amused at the shattering of the Shikon no Tama. No, she had been downright rendered dumb for a moment, and almost scared. Her? Why in all hell would he be interested in her? A lowly ningen? A lowly, miko ningen! She had not been able to wrap her mind around the thought.

However, he had been relentless; always there with a new gift, a few more flattering words. InuYasha of course had not been happy with it in the least, not to mention Miroku and Sango thinking it was quite odd. Though through his gentle persistence, she finally began to accept that maybe, just maybe, he was truly interested in her.

Thus had begun the courtship of Lord Taisho Sesshomaru and Higerashi Kagome. The whole fragile relationship had lasted for a couple months, and only towards the end did Kagome's fears and worries start to melt away. With hers, Miroku and Sango's were diminished as well.

InuYasha on the other hand, never let his guard down. It wasn't that he wanted Kagome for himself; no, they had gone through that. They knew that no matter how much they truly did love each other, they couldn't have a relationship. They saw each other too much as friends. Kagome's love for the hanyou had cooled and then hardened into a fierce loyalty, and possessiveness, very much like the one that he harbored for her. No, he just didn't trust his brother. And with good reason.

It had been on a cool autumn night that he approached her with the question. He had seemed so sincere, and true. She hadn't been able to tell the demon she had grown so fond of, no. So it was decided; she would be his, forever and always.

The event had been grand indeed; the lords and ladies of the other lands had attended, along with all the lower rulers of all the lands. The castle had never been busier, and had felt full to the brim. The grandeur lasted for three days, making sure that the new Lady of the West felt welcome and accommodated. Everyone played their parts, but not as well as Sesshomaru. He was the perfect gentleman, always at the side of his new mate, attending to her every wish, giving her soft kisses out of nowhere. He had everyone believing that he was a new man, and the little miko next to him the supposed reason.

Sadly, it had all truly been, nothing more, than an act. As the castle was emptied of the all grandeur of the event, all evidence rid of, it seemed that it had been wiped from Sesshomaru as well. Soon, there was nothing to remind Kagome that it had happened but the mark on her neck. He wasn't cruel to her; though he was no longer the man that he had her believing he was. Gone were the gentle whispers of flattery, gone were the soft kisses to her skin, gone were the small smiles that were only for her.

Back was the cold-hearted, emotionless lord that everyone knew him as. He had obviously gotten what he wanted; he had succeeded in tricking her, gaining her all. She had been nothing but a conquest to win, a new toy to conquer. He had won.

All that was left of Kagome was an empty, cold shell. She felt used, discarded; broken to pieces like a forgotten piece of pottery. But, there was nothing she could do. She was his; though he was still no one's but his own.

Over the several months after their union, Kagome had come to accept her place. There was no way for her to get away, so she might as well have done her best to be comfortable. So, she did. She and Sesshomaru finally got back onto speaking terms, though she was never able to fully forgive him for his trickery. To her slight bemusement, he never asked her to either. He obviously didn't care. This cold fact had hurt her even more, but like everything else, she got over it.

She did however, get her small revenges in every once in a while. Though, they had only been small ones until the last time. She had then finally found the well-hidden limits to her lord. She had dared to test his loyalty, and possessiveness. In doing so, she had lost one dear friend, and almost another one. This brought her to her current predicament.

Sighing, the young miko buried her head in her arms. The first three years of running around hunting for Naraku and jewel-shards had none nothing to prepare the now 19 year old for the events that had transpired around her for the last year. True, they hadn't been as adventurous, but what they had lacked there was made up in confusion.

Groaning again, she rubbed her eyes before she shot up. 'The jewel!' she gasped to herself. Shaking aside the slight dizziness that took a hold of her from this slight revelation and standing up so fast, she hurried from the room. Her resolve to stay as far from the one that ruled the castle as possible was instantly forgotten, as she ran off to find him, her head swimming with questions.

* * *

Sesshomaru was just finishing cleaning up after a long session in his dojo. His muscles ached and nearly screamed with every movement, which was quite a feat for the inuyoukai. It had been a long time since he was worked himself to near exhaustion. Allowing his eyes to droop a bit in a very unlordly manner, he groaned ever so softly as he pulled the pair of black sleep hakamas up around his waist. After fastening them, he reached for the sleep haori as well, though he was momentarily halted when his door was thrown open rather hastily.

Glancing over, he was greeted with the sight of his mate, panting softly as she stood in his doorway. 'Ah, so she has finally come,' he mused to himself as he finished dressing, tying the haori around his solid frame. He turned to face her, and she was suddenly again humbled. He saw her gaze immediately go to the floor, but she didn't leave the room. She obviously had something she wanted to say.

* * *

Kagome finally found him, after reaching the grounds and then his study. She didn't know why she checked his actual chambers first. Though, she had a good thought as of why, when she thought about it. Swallowing as he turned to her, her uneasiness from earlier returned, and she almost turned and left again. She then realized how weak she must appear to him, and she then steeled her nerves as well as possible.

Looking up at him, she caught his honey golden gaze still watching her. She bowed to him ever so slightly, showing the required respect. She didn't want to anger him, for she hoped to get as much information from him as possible. Thus, keeping him in a decent mood was in her favor. Straightening up, she took a few steps into his chambers.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" She started, watching him closely. "May I ask you a question?"

Sesshomaru found himself enjoying her soft voice, but didn't show this pleasure as he nodded at her. "Continue," he told her in his smooth voice.

Swallowing, she nodded. Hesitating for only a few moments, she blurted the question. "My lord, what ever happened to the... Shikon no Tama?"

* * *

Review? .; 


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